1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to lane departure warning and lane change assist systems adapted for use with a vehicle, and more particularly, to a lane departure warning and lane change assist system that utilizes active material activation, and more preferably, utilizes a Magneto-Rheological Hydraulic Power Steering (MR-HPS) system to effect warning.
2. Background Art
Lane departure warning and lane change assist (LDW/LCA) systems have been developed to assist operators (i.e. drivers) in maintaining proper lane alignment by alerting the operator to a possible unintentional lane departure and/or autonomously acting to keep the vehicle within the lane. Unlike scarifications and other measures commonly found on thoroughfare shoulders that alert the operator only after he or she has traversed the lane-marking, LDW systems provide timely warnings prior to lane departure. Lane change assist systems warn the driver of an approaching vehicle traveling in the direction of the host vehicle in the adjacent lanes when a lane change by the driver could pose a potential danger. Further, LDW/LCA systems offer effective warning alerts for vehicles in central lanes, wherein shoulder methods would be ineffective.
These LDW systems typically utilize at least one radar/lidar, DGPS/INS and digital map, or camera/video processing sensor to detect the lane markings (or road edges) that delineate a lane boundary. The detected lane-marking range is typically used to determine the lateral position of the vehicle in the lane (i.e., vehicle in-lane position), and a parameter time-to-lane-crossing (TTLC) is calculated based on the in-lane position and the motion of the vehicle. If the TTLC is smaller than a predefined threshold, a warning is typically issued. Other lateral support systems, such as lane keeping (LK) systems, have similarly been developed.
A combination of haptic and visual means, wherein the visual alert is secondary, has been found to present an effective modality of warning a human operator. A common type of haptic alert is to use a haptic seat; this type of system, however, has been found to add to the cost of the vehicle. A second effective haptic alert is to vibrate the steering wheel. In this configuration, EPS (Electric Power Steering) or EHPS (electro-hydraulic power steering) are conventionally used to generate steering vibration; however, these systems also add to the cost, and often require high peak electric current and/or voltage. In addition, it is appreciated that a steering torque in the opposite direction caused by the electric motor may cause a wrong reaction from the driver.
MR-HPS systems have been recently implemented to provide more energy efficient and adjustable power steering control in comparison to traditional hydraulic, EHPS or EPS embodiments. This type of power steering system utilizes a low current coil to generate a magnetic field across a reservoir of MR fluid, which causes a reversible change in the viscosity of the fluid, and thereby controls the pump speed. By controlling the torque (proportional to current) as a function of vehicle speed, the variable power assist is obtained. It is appreciated that using an MR-HPS system improves fuel economy approximately 0.5 mpg for automobiles and 0.3 mpg for trucks, provides variably and adjustably assisted steering, reduces pump parasitic losses as well as costs associated with EHPS, eliminates the high peak electric current and voltage demands associated with EPS/EHPS, and finally, reduces mass due to the elimination of electric components, such as a motor.